Top Anime Similar to Cowboy Bebop

Shinichirō Watanabe has been a pioneering force in sci-fi anime since his early days co-directing the acclaimed Macross franchise, notably Macross Plus. Over his illustrious 35-year career, he has crafted some of the most cherished and influential series, including Cowboy Bebop, his jazz-infused masterpiece. This iconic series follows a group of eclectic space adventurers navigating the neo-noir depths of the cosmos. Cowboy Bebop's timeless appeal is significantly enhanced by Yoko Kanno's legendary score, which has kept the series in the public eye through live performances, soundtrack re-releases, and more.

Cowboy Bebop has significantly influenced cinema and storytelling, with creators like Rian Johnson of Star Wars, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko of Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Diego Molano of Victor and Valentino citing it as a major inspiration for their work.

6 Best Anime Like Cowboy Bebop

6 ImagesCowboy Bebop is also notable for attracting viewers who typically don't watch anime, making it a vital and enduring part of the anime canon. If you're looking for what to watch after your latest (or first) Cowboy Bebop marathon, here are the best space-faring, globe-trotting, morally-ambiguous anime to explore next.

Lazarus

Our first recommendation is Watanabe's latest series, Lazarus, which premiered its first episode on Adult Swim at midnight on April 5th. Produced by MAPPA and Sola Entertainment, with John Wick director Chad Stahelski overseeing the art and original compositions by Kamasi Washington, Floating Points, and Bonobos, Lazarus is one of the most anticipated anime releases of the year. It serves as a stylistic counterpart to Cowboy Bebop, returning to the gritty, underdog sci-fi style of that series, contrasting with Watanabe's more recent work like Carole & Tuesday, and feeling remarkably relevant in 2025.

The series revolves around a life-saving drug that turns fatal three years after its use, endangering millions. Enter Axel, a regular convict and jailbreaker, who must assemble a team to find the mysterious doctor behind the drug and create an antidote within 30 days. Brace yourself for a thrilling and dark journey.

Terminator Zero

Next, we have Terminator Zero, a compelling addition to the Terminator saga from director Masashi Kudō, Production IG, and creator Mattson Tomlin, who also directed the Netflix film Project Power starring Jamie Foxx. While more serious than Bebop and much of Watanabe's work, it shares a stylistic flair in its action sequences and gunplay that will satisfy fans of Cowboy Bebop's action-packed scenes.

Terminator Zero stands out for its contemporary take on sci-fi, reflecting current technological and cultural landscapes, making it essential viewing in 2025. If you're seeking an aesthetically pleasing anime that matches Cowboy Bebop's visual appeal, this stunning and innovative series offers a fresh perspective on the Terminator franchise's Judgement Day through a distinctly Japanese lens.

Space Dandy

Space Dandy is another gem from Shinichirō Watanabe's repertoire, where he served as general director alongside director Shingo Natsume. Produced by the renowned studio Bones, this series offers a lighthearted, nostalgic nod to classic Saturday morning cartoons, much like Cowboy Bebop.

The series follows the titular Dandy, a stylish space bounty hunter on a quest to discover and register new alien species. While the premise may seem straightforward, Space Dandy delves into unexpected and existential territories as Dandy uncovers universal truths and his own purpose, accompanied by his charming crew of a robot and a cat. Although it may not have achieved the same global acclaim as Cowboy Bebop, Space Dandy is highly rewatchable, visually stunning, and incredibly entertaining.

Lupin III

If you're seeking the same sense of adventurous joy and boundless potential that Cowboy Bebop offers, Lupin III is the perfect choice. Since its inception in 1965 by Kazuhiko Katō (under the pseudonym Monkey Punch), this franchise has expanded across manga, anime, video games, and films. The 1971 anime adaptation is the ideal starting point, introducing audiences to the charismatic and laid-back criminal Lupin, inspired by the fictional gentleman thief Arsene Lupin.

Spanning 23 episodes, the first season features directors like Masaaki Ōsumi and future Studio Ghibli legends Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. It's an excellent entry point into the world of Lupin III, and fans can explore five decades of stories, movies, and shows thereafter.

Samurai Champloo

Samurai Champloo is often considered the spiritual successor to Cowboy Bebop. Developed while Watanabe worked on Cowboy Bebop: The Movie, it shares similar art styles, structures, and storytelling techniques. However, Samurai Champloo takes a historical action approach rather than the sci-fi genre Watanabe is known for. The series explores themes of life, freedom, and mortality through the journey of a ragtag trio: the outlaw Mugen, the tea server Fuu, and the ronin Jin.

A notable aspect of Samurai Champloo is its emphasis on inclusion and tolerance, inspired by the Edo period setting, which sets it apart from Watanabe's other works while maintaining his signature themes.

Trigun

If the allure of Cowboy Bebop lies in its stylish action and morally complex anti-hero, then Trigun is a must-watch. Adapted from Yasuhiro Nightow's hit manga, which ran in Monthly Shonen Captain, the series debuted in Japan in 1998 and in the US in 2001.

Trigun, like Cowboy Bebop, is a noir-inspired space western, but with higher stakes as it follows Vash, a man with a colossal bounty on his head due to his uncontrollable superpowers, which led to the accidental destruction of a city. As the narrative unfolds, we delve into Vash's character and those pursuing him, creating a compelling conflict that earned Trigun spots on numerous "best of" lists and boosted the manga's sales in the US.